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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a path
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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