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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — to be able to
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — ground
  11. field — farmland
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — a country
  24. field — for sport

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