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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — to eat
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a document
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. file — a tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — videos and posts

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