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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: pound · stick · ruler · face · rock · kid · charge · field

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. field — a subject
  11. charge — a price
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — for sport
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rock — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — farmland
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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