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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a partner
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bank — for money

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