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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. fork — in a road
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. band — a music group

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