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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. capital — money
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — for sport
  6. capital — a city
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — an aim
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — a thing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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