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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: field · date · ruler · bat · game · jam · cabinet · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. field — for sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. field — a subject
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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