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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 · current · mouse · ground · pass · rule · foot · clip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. clip — a video
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — a position
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rule — a law
  18. file — a document
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — the animal

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