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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: field · ruler · pit · nail · mine · chair · key · degree

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — a subject
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — farmland
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — in music
  24. pit — in a race

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