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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: foot · bass · racket · hide · ruler · rule

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rule — government
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. racket — for tennis

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