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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.

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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. current — of water
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — a hint

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