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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: squash · file · scale · bore · stand · bowl · current · cabinet

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — of water
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. file — a tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to tire
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a document

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