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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 116 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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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: snap · bass · bat · scale · vault · field · ruler · rest

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. field — for sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — a subject
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bat — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. field — farmland
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bat — for baseball

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