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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 · sharp · squash · lean · calf · jam · deal · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a line
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — to handle
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — size or range
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. scale — in music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — for weighing

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