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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · pound · current · season · vault · fine · march · wound

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — of water
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. march — music
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — high quality
  24. file — a tool

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