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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a document
  15. rash — hasty
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — a practice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. field — farmland
  22. rock — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. file — a line of people

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