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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. field — a subject
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — a permit
  10. field — farmland
  11. last — final
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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