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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — to point toward
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — for tennis

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