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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — for sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. file — a tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. field — a subject
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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