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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: stick · rest · mark · scale · fine · rash · tear · pit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — a series
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pit — in a race

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