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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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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: land · rock · bass · ruler · racket · rest · cell · cap

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cell — in biology
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — a country
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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