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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: rest · field · rash · fine · object · court · wake · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — an aim
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — for sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. court — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — to protest
  14. field — a subject
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of a king
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — a thing
  24. wake — a trail

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