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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: ruler · scale · nail · wound · mug · track · pitch · march

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a face
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — music
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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