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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: land · object · wave · pitcher · fork · ruler · stand · arm

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — to bear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — to come down
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — an aim

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