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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: temple · current · scale · bowl · bound · bore · wound · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — all right
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — obliged
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — happening now

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