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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: hand · suit · pass · saw · ruler · field · court · spring

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — farmland

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