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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: hand · game · current · scale · lean · chair · rush · toast

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — happening now
  15. game — a match
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — electric
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chair — to sit on

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