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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 · bore · current · club · last · spring · cue · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spring — a coil
  11. last — final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — for golf
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — a group
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — size or range

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