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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — of the year
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chip — to eat
  14. field — for sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a path
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. field — farmland

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