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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a document
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — a position
  24. staff — a stick

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