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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 116 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: rule · mine · stand · squash · scale · pop · saw · wake

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. scale — in music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pop — music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — to rule out

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