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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hide · cue · rock · field · fan · game · bank

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — farmland
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bank — for money
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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