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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: stem · kid · scale · jam · file · rock · ruler · club

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — for golf
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. kid — to tease
  12. file — a document
  13. rock — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — child
  24. rock — a stone

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