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

Word bank: scale · race · cabinet · deal · rule · pound

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — government
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. race — humankind
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rule — to rule out

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