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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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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: band · ruler · stock · scale · tear · pit

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a ring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. scale — for weighing

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