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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 120 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: rush · scale · rock · sharp · last · mark · bay · fork

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — finally
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rock — a stone
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rush — hurry
  20. last — final
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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