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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. field — a subject
  24. bound — tied together

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