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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · stock · scale · mate · current · leaves · cap · wound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — electric
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. scale — size or range

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