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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: can · scale · nail · race · cap · bark · rock · roll

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cap — of ice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cap — a lid
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. race — a contest
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — on a finger

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