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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — to go on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — size or range
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — a subject
  19. last — finally
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — final
  22. ground — a position
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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