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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.

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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: current · racket · season · scale · mouse · spring · file · fall

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — in sport
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. current — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fall — the season
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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