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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 · rash · rock · bat · cue · bulb · ruler · scale

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. current — happening now
  4. rash — a series
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — electric
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — on the skin

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