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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 124 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. clip — to cut
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — a video
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — for paper
  24. field — a subject

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