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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — low music

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