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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: bank · cold · ball · racket · fan · ruler · foot · cap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fan — a supporter

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