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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — a hole
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — in a race
  10. suit — to fit
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — soda
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — the season
  24. tube — the underground

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