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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. net — after costs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — for catching

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