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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 120 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: rule · ruler · last · mug · bass · wake · racket · land

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — finally
  9. land — ground
  10. last — final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. land — to come down
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. land — a country
  19. rule — government
  20. mug — a face
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — a law

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