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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · mark · mine · bat · scale · cap · foot

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a great time
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a dance

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