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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 · rule · bore · sharp · band · rest · pit · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. sharp — clever
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rule — a law
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rest — a break
  24. rule — government

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