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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 120 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 · mate · press · rush · ruler · bear · game · nail

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. game — a match
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. press — a publisher

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