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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 120 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 · rest · cabinet · nail · bass · fine · net · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — farmland
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fine — all right
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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