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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · cabinet · fall · bat · root · wax · ruler · bass

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — the season
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — the cause
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — videos and posts

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