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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: scale · kick · season · object · rush · deal · roll · present

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rush — hurry
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. object — to protest
  5. season — of the year
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. roll — a list
  20. scale — in music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — a thrill

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