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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: ground · deal · rest · rush · object · march · bulb · scale

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — in music
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — the earth
  7. object — an aim
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — to handle
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — a thing
  24. rest — a break

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