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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: board · can · scale · mark · spell · pass · rash · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pass — a permit
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — in music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — to be able to

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