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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: trunk · roll · scale · current · capital · press · rest · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. current — of water
  3. rock — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — money
  10. press — a publisher
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. roll — a cake
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — a list
  20. scale — size or range
  21. capital — a city
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — a stone

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