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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. foot — a measure
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. bank — of a river
  19. file — a document
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — happening now
  23. last — finally
  24. pit — a hole

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