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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: club · ruler · field · mark · wind · net · firm · wax

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — for golf
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — in sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — farmland
  23. club — a group
  24. ruler — a monarch

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