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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: ruler · row · foot · fan · press · field · rash · bat

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. press — to push
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. field — a subject
  11. bat — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a line
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ruler — a monarch

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