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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: scale · mark · bowl · land · trunk · current · sharp · game

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a grade
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a match
  13. current — of water
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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