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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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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 · ruler · cabinet · fork · game · pitcher · stand · wind

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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