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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.

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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: race · ruler · game · cap · scale · staff

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — of ice
  3. staff — a stick
  4. race — humankind
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — a contest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. game — a kind of play

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