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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 · file · kick · nail · track · stick · date · rest

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. file — a tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — a break
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — the fruit

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