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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — farmland
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — electric
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cold — not warm
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. current — of water
  21. cold — an illness
  22. row — a line
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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