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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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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 · track · spell · scale · roll · calf · pop · bank

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. track — a song
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. roll — a list
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. deal — to handle
  17. roll — a cake
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — magic
  21. pop — to visit
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — a short time

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