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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: lash · ground · toast · scale · patient · degree · bat · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — crushed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — from a university
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — temperature
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. toast — bread

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