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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: scale · rash · dip · march · roll · sharp · toast · firm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — steady
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rash — a series
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — hasty
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — clever
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. march — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — a list

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