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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. march — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — farmland
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fork — in a road
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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