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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — a subject
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. foot — a measure
  11. drill — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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