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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — of water
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — for sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — in music
  22. field — a subject
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — a division

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