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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: stick · bear · deal · rash · toast · game · ruler · scale

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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