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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: stick · ground · bowl · ruler · face · field · race · charge

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to point toward
  6. field — a subject
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. field — farmland
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. field — for sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — a price
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ground — crushed

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