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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: mouse · file · ruler · land · kick · fine · stem · pound

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. land — ground
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — to come down
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. land — a country
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. file — a line of people

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