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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — a subject
  4. swing — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. swing — to play on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. drill — army training

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