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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: object · dip · hide · march · current · snap · scale · pitcher

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — a thing
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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