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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — in music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — for sport
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cold — not warm
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — for pool
  21. field — a subject
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cold — an illness

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