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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: wind · ruler · bat · cabinet · ground · can · field · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bat — the animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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