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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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 — for measuring
  3. spell — letters
  4. file — a document
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a music group
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. drill — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — army training
  24. band — a ring

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