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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — the fish
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — to play on

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