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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: scale · bank · bat · mate · hand · fork · current · bore

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to tire

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