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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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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 · pop · stand · file · bat · fine · current · mouse

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — happening now
  13. file — a tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — a penalty

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