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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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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: ruler · scale · mark · wax · club · tube · fork · rest

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wax — to grow

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