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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — a position
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. roll — a list

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