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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: nail · bore · field · content · chip · straw · ruler · file

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — for sport
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. field — farmland
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. content — the amount
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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