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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 · hide · bass · fork · racket · cap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — in a road
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  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