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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — the cause
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mark — a trace
  19. file — a tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. root — of a word
  24. club — for golf

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