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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a line
  11. field — a subject
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. file — a line of people
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. file — a document
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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