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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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Word bank
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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pound — a weight
  19. file — a line of people
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. racket — a loud noise

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