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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — help
  5. field — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — a subject
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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