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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: last · rash · game · cap · temple · suit · hand · scale

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. scale — in music
  3. last — to go on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. game — wild animals
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — size or range
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hand — help
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. last — final
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — part of the body

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