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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · hand · track · scale · nail · foot · ruler · mine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. foot — a measure
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

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