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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. field — a subject
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. field — for sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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