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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: track · lash · scale · saw · stock · deal · date · court

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. court — for sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — of law
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stock — shares
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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