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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: can · saw · board · current · file · face · pound · pitcher

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. file — a document
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — happening now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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