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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: bass · arm · field · spell · board · net · ruler · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a committee
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — for sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — magic
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — a stone
  23. board — to get on
  24. rock — music

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