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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: rest · rule · nail · racket · date · leaves · scale · bowl

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — in music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — size or range
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bowl — a football final

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