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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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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: net · bass · ruler · lie · fork · saw · pitcher · tear

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — for catching
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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