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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: scale · ball · hand · fine · bore · fan · deal · can

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a great time
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fine — all right
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — to tire

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