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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: shower · pound · ruler · rule · bear · cue · field · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. field — farmland
  5. shower — rain
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — government
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — a subject
  24. bear — to put up with

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