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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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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. club — for dancing
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — low music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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