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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: kick · field · pound · mug · ruler · toast · scale · pop

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mug — a cup
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — soda
  10. toast — bread
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — for sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — music
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — to rob

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