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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: bay · scale · rush · stock · current · court · saw · drill

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — of a king
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — army training
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — shares
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. court — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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