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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: kid · nail · current · court · trunk · fine · date · scale

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of a king
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — to tease
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — child
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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