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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: hand · race · ruler · scale · pit · cap · wound · track

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — of ice
  14. race — humankind
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a hat
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — a song
  21. race — a contest
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — the arms race
  24. hand — help

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