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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. swing — to play on
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. file — a tool

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