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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: pop · club · track · pitcher · scale · dip · ruler · chest

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. scale — in music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. track — a path
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — music
  9. club — a group
  10. chest — a box
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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