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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: field · can · ruler · bowl · kid · stand · swing · roll

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — child
  16. stand — to bear
  17. roll — a cake
  18. swing — to play on
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — to be able to

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