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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — all right
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — high quality
  8. row — a line
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — in football
  18. file — a line of people
  19. current — electric
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. file — a document

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