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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: board · rest · nail · ground · mark · scale · pitcher · lash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — a break
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — to get on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — to pay attention

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