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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 116 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: present · charge · hand · deal · saw · scale · current · calf

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. present — there
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — help
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — a price
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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