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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · spring · ruler · bass · ball · row · lie · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. march — the month
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — of water
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — to paddle
  22. march — music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. row — a line

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