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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. last — finally
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — for a computer

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