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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 · row · bowl · stem · bass · board · rule · dip

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — government
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. dip — to sink

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