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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — a position
  6. field — a subject
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ground — the earth
  12. swing — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. swing — in golf
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. field — farmland
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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