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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: bound · file · ruler · date · bowl · current · temple · net

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — of water
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — obliged
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bound — certain
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — tied together

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