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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — happy
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — to hit hard

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