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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. sharp — exactly

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