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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — a subject
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — a law
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. track — a song
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. track — to keep track
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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