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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. clip — to cut
  5. field — farmland
  6. current — electric
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — a subject
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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