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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · march · pitcher · present · cap · file · mouse · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — of ice
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — music

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