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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: roll · rush · march · rest · bat · plane · scale · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — the month
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bat — the animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — hurry

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