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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — in music
  7. kid — child
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pop — music
  16. current — happening now
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pop — soda
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — thin

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