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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — the cause
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — a match
  6. field — for sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — of a plant
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. ruler — a monarch

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