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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — to tease
  11. race — a contest
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a document
  14. kid — child
  15. race — the arms race
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — a hole
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — humankind
  21. current — electric
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  24. bowl — a dish

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