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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: game · ruler · lash · bass · cabinet · coach · rock · pitcher

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — wild animals

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