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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — a trail
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. field — a subject
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — a phone

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