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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a line of people
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a tool
  15. hand — help
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — electric
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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