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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — humankind
  5. wake — a trail
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. season — of the year
  10. race — a contest
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — finally
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ruler — for measuring

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