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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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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 · fan · current · field · cold · deal · club · present

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. present — there
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — of water
  5. cold — an illness
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. current — electric
  11. deal — to handle
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — the time now
  20. cold — not warm
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. field — farmland
  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