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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — a contest
  13. field — farmland
  14. club — a group
  15. race — humankind
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — a division
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. race — the arms race

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