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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · plane · last · bore · mate · scale · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — to tire
  5. last — to go on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. game — a match
  8. current — of water
  9. last — finally
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — electric
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — a tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. last — final
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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