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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: scale · ground · object · suit · straw · rash · shower · jam

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — a series
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. shower — rain
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — a position
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — a thing

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