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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — a division
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — an agreement

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