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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
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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: saw · pound · scale · kid · court · cabinet · rush · wound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. court — of law
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — in music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — for sport
  21. kid — child
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — size or range

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