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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — shares
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — a list
  19. field — farmland
  20. drill — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — of a word
  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