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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.

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: scale · chip · mark · present · roll · current · stick · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — of water
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mark — a grade
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — music
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — a cake
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — there
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — a list
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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