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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · straw · court · bass · bowl · ruler · hide · wind

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — low music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — of law
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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