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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: can · jam · pound · scale · deal · chair · field · date

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. field — a subject
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. field — farmland
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. scale — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — to handle

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