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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.

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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: wake · fork · foot · field · band · cabinet · pass · ruler

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. band — a music group
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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