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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a document
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. field — farmland
  10. file — a line of people
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rule — government
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. field — a subject
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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