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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. field — a subject
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

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