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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · deal · content · swing · staff · stick · scale · sharp

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — a country
  4. scale — size or range
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — the amount
  8. scale — in music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. content — happy

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