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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: scale · clip · pound · bowl · bank · press · date · current

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — of water
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. clip — a video
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. clip — to cut
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. press — to push

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