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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: arm · rule · kid · file · bowl · pitcher · drill · current

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. current — happening now
  5. rule — a law
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — government
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. drill — army training
  24. file — a line of people

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