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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — a coil
  6. field — for sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — the season
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. field — a subject
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — to bear

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