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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
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: pit · bound · current · pitcher · file · stick · wave · game

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — certain
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — of water
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  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