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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — help
  21. kid — child
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — a jug

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