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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · squash · bass · ruler · lie · date · bowl · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. field — for sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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