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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: ruler · mark · race · cabinet · scale · stand

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet

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