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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 116 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: file · object · bat · current · bulb · race · game · leaves

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — the arms race
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a document
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. race — a contest
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. object — an aim
  12. current — of water
  13. game — a match
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. race — humankind
  17. file — a tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. object — to protest
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bulb — of a plant

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