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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · chair · key · face · march · prune · mark · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. file — a document
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. march — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — of water
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — a grade
  20. face — to confront
  21. chair — a leader
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — for a lock

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