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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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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: cap · pitch · mouse · tear · file · fan · patient · ruler

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a document
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tear — to rip

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