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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — a law
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. field — farmland
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — high quality
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fine — all right
  21. land — ground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — a subject

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