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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · branch · ground · mug · rash · fine · rush · stand

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mug — a cup
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — a series
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — the earth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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