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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 · suit · roll · nail · rest · pound · court · toast

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — clothes
  7. toast — bread
  8. roll — a list
  9. scale — in music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. roll — a cake
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pound — to hit hard

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