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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — a subject
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of law
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — to get on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — of a king
  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