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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · scale · racket · game · land · kid · bore · mouse

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — in music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — to come down
  10. kid — child
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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