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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.

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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: ruler · track · last · arm · pass · kid · mark · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. last — final
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kid — child
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mark — a trace
  19. last — to go on
  20. track — a song
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ruler — for measuring

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