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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — farmland
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — all right
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cap — a lid
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — an illness
  11. capital — a city
  12. field — a subject
  13. cold — not warm
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — a price
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. capital — money

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