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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. present — there
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — the earth
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — crushed
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — a subject
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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