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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: board · rest · bank · field · roll · present · ruler · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a committee
  6. field — for sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — a list
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — a gift
  23. bank — for money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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