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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: ball · field · cell · prune · wake · roll · craft · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a list
  3. field — farmland
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wake — a trail
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. field — a subject
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. craft — a skill
  18. field — for sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — a phone
  23. craft — boats
  24. cell — in biology

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