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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: spring · land · file · calf · coach · bat · current · staff

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The flowers bloom in 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. land — ground
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — a coil
  5. land — a country
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — electric
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — the season

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