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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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