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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cue — for pool

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