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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 · cabinet · last · stock · pass · scale · capital · wound

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — in music
  5. stock — shares
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — happening now
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — goods
  12. capital — money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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