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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · bulb · file · hand · racket · chest · present · game

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hand — help
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — a box
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. game — a match
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — for light

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