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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 124 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — to go on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. field — farmland
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. squash — to crush
  20. last — finally
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. field — for sport

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