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

Word bank: lie · degree · drill · ruler · pit · file · fork · stem

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. file — a tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pit — in a race
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — a practice

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