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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cap — a lid
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. file — a document
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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