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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. net — in sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. degree — temperature
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — size or range
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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