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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · stick · ruler · firm · march · charge · field · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — steady
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — decided
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — a company

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