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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — a subject
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stem — to come from
  21. game — wild animals
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. arm — a part of something

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