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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — a subject
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. march — the month
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. field — farmland
  23. season — in sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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