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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: last · mine · kid · rush · saw · swing · field · ruler

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. field — farmland
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — child
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — finally
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — final
  24. mine — for digging

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