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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: drill · object · file · fine · cell · ground · ruler · pop

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — to visit
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a document

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