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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. field — farmland
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — low music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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