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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.

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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: stick · current · stem · suit · saw · pound · file · march

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — of water
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a tool
  24. march — the month

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