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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: foot · key · file · roll · ruler · bear · row · mine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. roll — a list
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — for a lock
  8. roll — a cake
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. row — a line
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bear — the animal

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