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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — to fit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. present — a gift
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — farmland
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a dance

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