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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.

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 · land · fine · game · stand · file · tear · chair

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — all right
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. land — to come down
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tear — from crying

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