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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. drill — a practice
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. swing — to play on
  21. court — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. field — farmland
  24. swing — in golf

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