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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: stick · bass · scale · current · cabinet · date · deal · rule

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — size or range
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bass — low music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. current — of water
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rule — government
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. date — on the calendar

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