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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 120 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: track · field · pitcher · cabinet · club · ruler · charge · bound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. field — farmland
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. field — for sport

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