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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ground — crushed
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — to bear
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. current — happening now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — for sport
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. field — a subject
  24. ruler — a monarch

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