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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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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: scale · rock · temple · bowl · stick · pit · current · kick

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — electric
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — happening now
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kick — a thrill

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