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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: ruler · cold · wind · date · drill · jam · scale · cabinet

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. date — on the calendar

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