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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · rash · bass · ball · swing · present · foot · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — there
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — a gift
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — low music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — the time now
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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