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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: current · file · fall · pit · fan · board · key · bat

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — a flat piece

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