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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. file — a tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a document
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — of water
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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