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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · pound · bass · club · row · hide

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — for dancing
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. club — a group
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — for golf
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. 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