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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: mate · ruler · cell · pop · racket · bass

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pop — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. racket — a loud noise

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