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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — size or range
  16. field — for sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. field — a subject
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — in sport
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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