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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: bank · bat · swing · ruler · track · mine · field · spell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — for sport
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — letters
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a song
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spell — magic
  21. swing — music
  22. field — farmland
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bank — for money

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