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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spring — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. degree — temperature
  22. file — a document
  23. degree — an amount
  24. nail — on a finger

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