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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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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: firm · toast · march · scale · hand · root · nail · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — a company
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — decided
  9. toast — bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — help
  12. root — the cause
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — steady
  22. march — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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