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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. field — farmland
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a ring
  15. roll — a list
  16. band — a music group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — a subject
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — for sport
  24. plane — a tool

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