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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. march — music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — a position
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — a coil
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a document
  24. ground — crushed

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