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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — magic
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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