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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. file — a document
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. swing — music
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — a country
  11. current — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a match
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — ground
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — in golf
  23. current — happening now
  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