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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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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: nail · lean · game · scale · wake · pit · fan · deal

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pit — a hole
  5. game — a match
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. scale — in music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. scale — for weighing

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