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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rule — government
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. track — to keep track
  15. file — a document
  16. rule — a law
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — a song

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