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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — a company
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — steady
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. clip — a video

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