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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. file — a document
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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