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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. root — of a word
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. field — for sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. root — the cause
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — a subject
  23. band — a ring
  24. bass — low music

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