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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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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: mouse · race · toast · scale · rest · swing

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. 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. race — a contest
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — humankind
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — size or range
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. toast — bread
  17. swing — to play on
  18. 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