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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: ground · roll · season · firm · fan · bass · spell · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — letters
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — decided
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — low music
  19. roll — a list
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ground — the earth
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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