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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.

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: plane · hide · bass · mouse · land · ruler · swing · pitch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — ground

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