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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: wake · race · scale · stand · club · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — humankind
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — to bear
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — in music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — size or range

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