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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: ruler · row · bear · patient · roll · race · field · track

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — farmland
  3. race — humankind
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — a list
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. row — a line
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — a cake
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject
  19. track — a song
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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