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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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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: bore · ball · swing · bass · ruler · kid · foot · fall

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — child
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fall — the season
  24. foot — a measure

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