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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: snap · foot · roll · ground · rest · ruler · land · bass

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — low music
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — a cake
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — crushed
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — a measure
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. bass — the fish

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