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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rock — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. roll — a list
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — farmland

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