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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 · field · chip · saw · cell · firm · stick · last

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — steady
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — decided
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — in biology
  23. firm — a company
  24. saw — the tool

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