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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — of water
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — final
  10. land — ground
  11. last — to go on
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — happening now
  24. spring — a coil

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