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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: ruler · field · wind · can · wake · stock · hand · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — goods
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — a subject
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — farmland
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — music
  23. field — for sport
  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