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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. file — a document

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