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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: scale · spell · press · ruler · current · tube · fork · nail

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — letters
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — magic
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. press — to push
  20. fork — in a road
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — newspapers

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