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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: ruler · track · stand · scale · ground · charge · saw · mine

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — a position

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