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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 120 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: file · ruler · content · pound · bat · prune · press · rash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. file — a document
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — the amount
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. file — a tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — a series
  23. file — a line of people
  24. content — happy

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