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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — in control
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — for sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. dip — to sink
  20. field — a subject
  21. staff — a stick
  22. file — a tool
  23. staff — employees
  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