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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — in cards
  6. field — farmland
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — a group
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for 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