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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: calf · file · bat · pound · current · scale · wake · rush

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — hurry
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — size or range
  24. calf — a young animal

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