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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — happening now
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — in a road
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fork — to eat with

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