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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: suit · straw · pit · shower · nail · cell · ruler · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pit — a fruit 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