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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. staff — a stick
  17. field — for sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — farmland

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