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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — in football
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fork — in a road
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kick — with a leg

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