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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: toast · hand · scale · saw · mark · tube · land · date

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — a country
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. land — to come down
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hand — help
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. land — ground
  22. mark — a grade
  23. toast — bread
  24. hand — in cards

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