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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · current · staff · stand · trunk · scale · bound · clip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. scale — size or range
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. scale — in music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. bound — obliged
  12. clip — for paper
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. clip — to cut
  18. content — happy
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — a video
  21. content — the amount
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. stand — on your feet

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