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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chest · trunk · scale · saw · mark · racket · fan

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chest — a box
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — of your body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — in music
  24. deal — an agreement

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