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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: scale · fall · hand · fork · can · nail · kid · mug

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. kid — child
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mug — a cup
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fall — the season

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