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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — a measure
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — hurry
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — a subject
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a cup
  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