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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — in music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a document
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — magic
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spell — a short time
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a match
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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