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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — a series
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — final
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. last — to go on
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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