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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: ruler · march · foot · cell · ball · rest · bass · wind

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. foot — a measure
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — a break
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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