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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a document
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a word
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — to paddle
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — a line

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