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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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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: mine · present · saw · rest · band · bowl · ruler · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a ring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — there
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — the time now
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — the tool
  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