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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 · bore · mark · sharp · nail · foot · track · date

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to tire
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — size or range

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