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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — to handle
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — farmland
  15. rule — government
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a line of people
  24. field — a subject

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