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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — a subject
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — for sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — to wash
  22. press — a publisher
  23. sharp — clever
  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