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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: file · pitcher · land · row · perch · vault · game · current

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — a line
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — a country
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. land — to come down
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. file — a tool
  21. land — ground
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — a jug

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