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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. field — farmland
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — to come down
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. field — for sport
  23. land — ground
  24. drill — army training

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