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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — electric
  8. file — a document
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — shares
  13. clip — for paper
  14. court — for sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — the season
  19. clip — a video
  20. file — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stock — a soup base

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