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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: fan · current · prune · rest · bass · lie · ruler · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — low music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — a break
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — happening now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — electric

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