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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — certain
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — for golf

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