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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cold — an illness
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cold — not warm
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. degree — an amount
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — for pool

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