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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · tube · present · pitcher · content · wound · rest · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. tube — a container
  10. present — a gift
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — happy
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. present — there

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