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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. field — for sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of a tree

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