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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 124 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. file — a document
  4. content — the amount
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. last — final
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. last — to go on
  12. date — the fruit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — happy
  15. file — a tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. ruler — for measuring

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