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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: cue · lean · scale · racket · spell · current · bore · chair

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — in music
  12. current — happening now
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — magic

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