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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: current · pit · land · nail · row · mark · wax · scale

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. land — ground
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — a grade
  15. scale — size or range
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. land — a country
  22. pit — in a race
  23. land — to come down
  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