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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. current — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. file — a line of people
  9. march — the month
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — electric
  23. march — music
  24. stand — to bear

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