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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — a hole
  4. swing — in golf
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. field — farmland
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — money
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — for measuring

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