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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — size or range
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a document

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