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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · pitcher · fine · bat · lie · race · spell · scale

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — of water
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — happening now
  24. spell — magic

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