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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bass — low music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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