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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: bound · foot · scale · rash · swing · kick · race · dip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. race — the arms race
  5. foot — a measure
  6. race — humankind
  7. bound — tied together
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. race — a contest

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