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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · wound · stick · ruler · pound · fork

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. 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. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — a subject
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pound — a weight
  11. field — farmland
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. 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