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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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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 · scale · race · wound · cap · root · staff · band

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. band — a ring
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wound — an injury
  13. race — humankind
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a hat
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. race — a contest
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. root — the cause

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