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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: fork · pit · rule · scale · stem · shower

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — a law
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — government
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — rain

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