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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: ruler · bat · bass · spell · safe · net · field · lean

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bass — low music
  12. field — a subject
  13. net — after costs
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — thin
  17. field — for sport
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — the instrument

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