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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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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: swing · scale · mug · race · kid · deal

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — a face
  8. swing — music
  9. race — a contest
  10. kid — child
  11. deal — to handle
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — to tease
  17. race — humankind
  18. scale — in music

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