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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 · deal · craft · firm · net · bound · staff · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. firm — steady
  3. net — after costs
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — certain
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — obliged
  12. staff — employees
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — size or range
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. net — in sport

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