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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a ring
  12. file — a document
  13. field — farmland
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a round shape

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