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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 116 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: pound · stock · scale · nail · current · kick · deal · swing

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. current — electric
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — of water

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