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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. file — a document
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — to be able to
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. row — to paddle
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — an aim
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. land — a country
  21. scale — in music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. file — a tool

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