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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a document
  5. field — farmland
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — to push
  11. cell — in biology
  12. field — for sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. drill — the tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. press — a publisher
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — a subject

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