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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — to tease
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kid — child
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — a leader
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — farmland
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — to sit on

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