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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: bore · field · mark · rash · ruler · saw · rule · bass

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — a trace
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — a series
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. field — for sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — a grade

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