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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — electric
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. current — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — a phone
  13. current — happening now
  14. suit — in cards
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a document
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — a penalty

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