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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — low music
  5. file — a document
  6. board — a committee
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. field — for sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a line of people

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