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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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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: stem · ruler · fan · file · ground · club · bound · sharp

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — a position
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a document
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. club — a group

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