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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. field — a subject
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. field — farmland
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — for sport

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