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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: swing · last · mark · deal · scale · pit · wound · current

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — happening now
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. last — to go on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — in music
  22. last — finally
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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