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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: bear · rest · foot · fine · wave · field · ruler · net

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — after costs
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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