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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 120 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: stick · scale · kid · deal · object · wave · current · racket

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — to tease
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — an aim
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kid — child
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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