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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. net — in sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. craft — boats
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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