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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 · fall · suit · field · scale · foot · stick · pitcher

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. field — farmland
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — the season
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — for weighing

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