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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: fall · fine · net · cap · ruler · cabinet · bank · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — in sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fall — to drop

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