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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 116 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: mug · ball · present · current · tube · march · scale · trunk

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — the time now
  3. tube — the underground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — to rob
  19. scale — size or range
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a cup
  22. march — music
  23. mug — a face
  24. current — electric

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