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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: bass · cue · cell · stock · date · scale · current · lie

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — shares

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