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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 · firm · season · bowl · bass · track · can · lean

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. firm — steady
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a song
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — of the year
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. firm — a company

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