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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: bass · fan · pitcher · pound · bat · firm · snap · ruler

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. firm — steady
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. firm — a company
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — low music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. 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