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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. file — a document
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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