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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.

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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: bass · swing · drill · pitcher · saw · ruler · club · mug

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. swing — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. swing — in golf
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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