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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chest — a box
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — completely
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. file — a document
  23. key — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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