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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: mark · hand · firm · staff · swing · lash · race · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — help
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — a company
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. swing — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — in cards
  19. race — humankind
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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