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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
468
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: pitcher · field · mine · lie · club · racket · ruler · bass

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for dancing
  15. field — a subject
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. club — a group
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — for digging
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. mine — an explosive

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