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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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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: pass · kid · rock · scale · ruler · current · cell · roll

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. scale — in music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a list
  10. cell — a phone
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kid — child
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in biology

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