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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: scale · shower · arm · stand · deal · stick · cue · patient

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — rain
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. deal — to handle
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — for pool
  24. scale — size or range

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