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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.

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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: ruler · mate · snap · lie · field · mug · capital · march

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — a friend
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. capital — a city
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a cup
  12. capital — money
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. march — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. snap — to click

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