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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. game — a match
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — electric
  10. file — a document
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pit — a hole
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  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