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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — an aim
  9. squash — the sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. degree — an amount
  15. object — a thing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — temperature
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — a position

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