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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. deal — to handle
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — a subject
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. patient — a sick person

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