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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — in golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — a subject
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — final
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. board — to get on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — finally
  24. swing — music

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