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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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Word bank
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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: swing · field · foot · staff · mate · ruler

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — a friend
  3. swing — in golf
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — to play on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — a stick
  18. foot — the bottom

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