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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: scale · bound · chair · craft · deal · dip · degree · lean

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — boats
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chair — a leader
  18. scale — in music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — a professorship

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