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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — a face
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a document
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — a tool
  24. file — a tool

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