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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — farmland
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — low music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. branch — a division
  24. club — for golf

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