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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: deal · court · object · land · kid · lash · scale · squash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — a thing
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. court — of law
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kid — child
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. land — a country
  23. object — an aim
  24. kid — to tease

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