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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: scale · swing · can · stick · saw · craft · rule · rest

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — boats
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rule — a law
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. swing — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rest — a break

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