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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · game · snap · pit · racket · file · current · season

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. file — a tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. file — a document
  8. season — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a match
  11. current — of water
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pit — a hole
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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