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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mark — a grade
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a document
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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