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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · ruler · fine · snap · rash · sharp · bowl · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — low music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — for sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — the fish
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rash — a series

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