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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: foot · scale · rest · mine · track · toast · race · ball

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. track — a song
  6. toast — bread
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — size or range
  14. race — a contest
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — a break
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a great time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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