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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. current — electric
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. land — ground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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