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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a line
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. net — after costs
  7. drill — the tool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — army training
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a line of people
  16. present — the time now
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. ruler — a monarch

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