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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: deal · lie · scale · stick · jam · spring · can · board

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — to get on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — in traffic

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