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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: ground · rash · straw · scale · ruler · toast · bowl · bank

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rash — a series
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — in music
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bank — for money

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