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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — farmland
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. field — a subject
  6. pop — soda
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — for sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — boats
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — a price

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