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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 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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 — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — the time now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. present — there
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. present — a gift
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. board — to get on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. board — a committee
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  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