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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — in a road
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a line of people
  23. degree — from a university
  24. nail — for a hammer

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