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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — a subject
  5. march — music
  6. capital — money
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. capital — a city
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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