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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — all right
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — a group
  21. field — farmland
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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