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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: bowl · ground · toast · object · file · current · fan · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ground — a position
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — to protest
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. file — a document
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. file — a tool
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. toast — bread

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