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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: bat · track · rash · net · ruler · fork · band · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — in sport
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bat — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — for catching

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