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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. season — of the year
  6. file — a document
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — in sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. bass — the fish

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