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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: bowl · ruler · field · rush · scale · spell · rest · band

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a music group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — a subject
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. field — for sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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