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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: pitcher · season · bowl · file · cabinet · straw · rest · current

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — of water
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. straw — a straw man

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