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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 · pitcher · net · rest · current · mate · chest · deal

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — electric
  13. net — after costs
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chest — a box
  16. current — of water
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — for weighing

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