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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — the month
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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