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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — army training
  5. court — of law
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a friend
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. last — to go on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — a subject
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. last — finally
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. field — for sport
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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