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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: toast · ruler · hand · pit · scale · mine · current · dip

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — in a race
  16. toast — bread
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. scale — for weighing

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