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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 · snap · bound · pit · scale · patient · stick · arm

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to click
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — of water
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. current — electric
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. arm — part of the body

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