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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 · stem · present · scale · stick · tube · net · firm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. present — the time now
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — there
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — decided
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — a container
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. firm — a company
  24. 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