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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — the fruit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. field — for sport
  24. scale — size or range

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