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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.

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: stock · hand · mine · ruler · field · fan · bass · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — a subject
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — for sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — a supporter

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