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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a document
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of law

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