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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — a match
  3. field — for sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — to bear
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. drill — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. safe — out of danger

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