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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: bowl · cell · bore · scale · wound · pass · stick · current

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — electric
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. scale — in music
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bore — to drill
  24. scale — size or range

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