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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: cap · spring · object · race · deal · charge · scale · straw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cap — a hat
  4. race — a contest
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. scale — in music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — the arms race
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — of water
  14. race — humankind
  15. spring — the season
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. spring — a coil
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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