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

Word bank: bat · bay · present · last · ruler · bank · scale · wake

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — the time now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. present — there
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — a gift
  20. bat — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — a trail

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