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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 · land · rash · roll · mug · date · fall · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — ground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — in music
  9. mug — a face
  10. rash — a series
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — to come down
  15. mug — a cup
  16. roll — a list
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — the fruit
  19. land — a country
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fall — to drop

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