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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — a country
  4. field — a subject
  5. firm — a company
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — the time now
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. field — farmland
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. present — there
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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