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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 116 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: mark · scale · last · pound · row · sharp · saw · rush

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — clever
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a line
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pound — a weight

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