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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. field — farmland
  9. pound — a weight
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — boats
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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