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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — a position
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a ring
  9. file — a document
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. content — the amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. content — happy

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