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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: stick · deal · kid · hide · jam · bowl · dip · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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