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

Word bank: object · field · ruler · straw · racket · stick

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland

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