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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. field — a subject
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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