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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: fan · safe · bass · rest · trunk · mark · ruler · racket

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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 — for measuring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — what's left

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