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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: scale · stick · spell · band · race · pit · date · arm

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — humankind
  5. spell — magic
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — size or range
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. scale — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — a contest

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