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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: cabinet · current · deal · foot · stand · file · bat · mug

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. file — a tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — happening now
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a cup
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stand — for spectators

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