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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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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: race · current · bat · file · mark · bowl · stick · staff

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. current — happening now
  3. file — a line of people
  4. race — a contest
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — electric
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — of water
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. file — a document
  20. bat — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a grade

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