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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spring — of water
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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