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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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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 · scale · rest · suit · last · board · file · kid

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — to go on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — child
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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