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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: march · ruler · row · wave · racket · drill · rock · bass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rock — a stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — low music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. march — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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