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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: chest · track · scale · ruler · bore · perch · pit · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chest — a box
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — in music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. scale — size or range
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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