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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 116 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: wind · field · suit · ruler · staff · ball · sharp · cold

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — an illness
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — with an edge

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