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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 116 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: perch · object · bay · spring · race · file · cap · current

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. file — a document
  3. race — the arms race
  4. perch — the fish
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — humankind
  10. cap — of ice
  11. race — a contest
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a tool
  21. object — to protest
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a lid
  24. file — a line of people

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