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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: mine · squash · scale · race · mug · leaves · current · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — electric
  7. race — a contest
  8. mug — to rob
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mug — a face
  12. race — humankind
  13. squash — to crush
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. current — happening now
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — of water

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