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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — a coil
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — of water
  22. file — a tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. court — 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