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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 116 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: rule · mug · rock · hand · pitcher · stand · scale · file

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a cup

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