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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: race · spell · current · file · can · pit · lie · ground

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. race — a contest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. current — happening now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — of water
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — a short time
  15. file — a document
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — letters
  18. can — to be able to
  19. current — electric
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — magic

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