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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a ring
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — to keep track

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