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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: deal · mark · club · scale · dip · current · kid · pound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pound — a weight
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — of water
  17. kid — child
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — to pay attention

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