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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — a subject
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mate — a friend
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — of a river
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — a monarch

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