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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. current — happening now
  4. rock — music
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — electric
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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