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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fall · ruler · charge · stick · file · drill · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — the season
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. drill — the tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. file — a document
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — a price
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. game — a match

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