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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — certain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — farmland
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. net — in sport

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