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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: track · capital · cabinet · ruler · scale · season · mark · shower

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. season — in sport
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — a city
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a song
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. capital — money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. track — a path
  24. season — of the year

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