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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. file — a document
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — a soup base

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