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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: cap · bass · bat · track · land · hide · ruler · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. land — a country
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — to come down
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. land — ground
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bass — the instrument

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