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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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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: bank · bear · cell · mouse · scale · kid · toast · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. current — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — the animal

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