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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: current · scale · deal · cap · track · hide · ground · calf

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. current — happening now
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — to keep track
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — electric

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