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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · chest · scale · rule · spell · pitcher · staff · tube

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — a container
  5. date — the fruit
  6. spell — letters
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rule — a law
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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