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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: row · shower · board · content · ruler · file · racket · chip

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. content — happy
  4. file — a line of people
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. file — a document
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — to wash
  9. file — a tool
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. row — a line
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — to get on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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