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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 an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — a line
  3. staff — a stick
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — farmland
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — a measure
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — to paddle
  19. track — a path
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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