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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · squash · mine · bore · scale · wax · bowl · current

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. current — of water
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — in music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — electric
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — to drill

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