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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. clip — for paper
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. clip — a video
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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