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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. file — a document
  3. land — to come down
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — happening now
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — a hole
  13. current — electric
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pound — for dogs

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