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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — for digging
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — to come down
  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