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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · rush · mine · current · ruler · pitch · bore · file

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. file — a document
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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