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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: hide · racket · ruler · cap · bank · spell

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — a monarch

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