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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. last — to go on
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — a subject
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — finally
  24. court — of a king

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