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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 · file · roll · present · saw · deal · rule · pitcher

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. file — a line of people
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. roll — a list
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a document
  24. roll — on a roll

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