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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 116 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: saw · deal · ball · calf · racket · file · ruler · kid

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — to tease
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — a big deal
  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