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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 120 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: nail · bat · current · cabinet · scale · leaves · pass · pound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — electric
  24. pass — a permit

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