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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.

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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: current · content · file · jam · tube · pound · season · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — the underground
  3. file — a tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. season — in sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. tube — a container
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — of the year
  14. current — of water
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pound — a weight

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