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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — for sport
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. court — of law
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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