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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · ruler · fan · bass · can · drill · season · clip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — army training
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — in sport
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the fish
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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