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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ball — a great time
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cell — in biology
  17. firm — steady
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a round shape

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