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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — happening now
  21. root — the cause
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. root — of a word
  24. fine — high quality

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