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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — ground
  24. prune — to trim

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