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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: scale · date · tube · fan · current · wound · file · roll

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. scale — size or range
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a line of people
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. current — happening now
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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