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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — a subject

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