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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 116 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: field · mine · ruler · fall · can · court · wave · rush

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — farmland
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — for sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — of law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fall — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — with your hand

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