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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a document
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. file — a tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — the instrument

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