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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 · pop · race · mine · roll · board · kick · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — soda
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — humankind
  13. scale — in music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. race — a contest
  22. board — to get on
  23. roll — a list
  24. pop — music

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