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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: current · ball · trunk · bat · rock · dip · scale · hide

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — music
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. current — electric
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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