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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 · scale · hand · ruler · ball · trunk · row · stand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a line
  9. current — happening now
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — to bear
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — help
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. scale — for weighing

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