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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 120 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: file · ruler · object · land · band · charge · season · bass

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. object — an aim
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — low music
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — to come down
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. file — a document
  16. land — a country
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a ring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — to protest

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