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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — a thing
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a line of people
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a tool
  19. club — a group
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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