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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · mate · rule · land · present · dip · prune · bore

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mate — to breed
  5. present — a gift
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mate — a partner
  15. land — ground
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — in music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com