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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
468
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: content · bulb · scale · row · current · march · rash · nail

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — happy
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rash — a series
  16. current — electric
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. march — the month

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