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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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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 · spring · lean · scale · wound · board · pitch · bore

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. current — of water
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — thin
  9. board — a committee
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to drill
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. board — to get on

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