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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: ruler · can · fine · bank · land · bat · pop · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — ground

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