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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: row · current · mine · mark · wake · toast · drill · scale

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. drill — a practice
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mine — for digging
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — bread
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. drill — army training
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — a line
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. drill — the tool

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