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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. 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. field — farmland
  5. fall — the season
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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