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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: object · hand · drill · scale · current · ground · bank · mate

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — happening now
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — army training
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — in cards
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — a thing

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