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

Word bank: hand · mark · ruler · bass · board · rule

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — a grade
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — a law
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — a monarch

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