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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: tube · spell · roll · file · deal · current · fan · prune

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. spell — magic
  10. roll — a cake
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. file — a document
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spell — letters
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — a short time

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