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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: rash · rush · scale · spell · fork · row · suit · date

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rash — hasty
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — hurry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — to fit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a line
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. date — on the calendar

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