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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 · straw · ground · arm · fine · last · bowl · fan

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. scale — size or range
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — finally
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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