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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. present — there
  7. court — of a king
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — a gift
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — the time now

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