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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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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: chest · rule · ruler · plane · scale · fork · date · content

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. date — the fruit
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — a law
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chest — a box
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. content — happy
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. scale — in music

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