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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — a division
  24. deal — an agreement

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