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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 120 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: snap · chair · bass · racket · ruler · wave

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to click
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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