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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 · tear · cell · kick · content · deal

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — happy
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — size or range

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