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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: board · last · scale · rash · court · kid · toast · fork

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — a series
  9. toast — bread
  10. kid — child
  11. court — of a king
  12. last — final
  13. court — of law
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. last — to go on
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — for weighing

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