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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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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: current · deal · ruler · chip · bay · fall · pound · scale

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fall — the season
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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