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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: bank · saw · ruler · club · field · firm · cabinet · fall

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. firm — steady
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — for sport
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — a subject
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — farmland
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. saw — the tool
  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