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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 · race · ground · toast · rush · season · prune · mug

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mug — a cup
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. scale — in music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — humankind

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