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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: nail · field · file · mark · club · pass · ruler · wound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — a subject
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. field — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a document
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mark — a grade
  22. club — for dancing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pass — to succeed

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