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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. file — a document
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. capital — money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. object — a thing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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