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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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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: foot · bat · scale · deal · current · mark · game · cabinet

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — the bottom

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