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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.

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: tube · game · file · current · racket · squash · pit · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a document
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — a match
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — a container
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. current — electric
  18. file — a tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stem — to come from
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. current — happening now

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