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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. game — a match
  6. spring — the season
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — in music
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spring — a coil
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. game — a kind of play

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