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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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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 · row · ruler · cell · date · ground · fork · swing

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. swing — in golf
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ground — the earth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — to play on
  14. scale — in music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ground — crushed

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