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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 116 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: fan · club · bark · wax · pitcher · ruler · tube · bat

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — to shout
  19. tube — a container
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

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