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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: date · scale · wound · ruler · pop · season · wave · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pop — soda
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — in music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — the fruit

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