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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.

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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: suit · chip · clip · fall · pit · hand · current · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. suit — to fit
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — happening now
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pit — in a race
  8. current — of water
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — in cards

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