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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — for sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. race — humankind
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. land — ground
  16. field — farmland
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. land — a country
  20. stock — shares
  21. present — there
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — a contest

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