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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: ruler · sharp · bat · board · bass · present · tube · safe

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. bass — low music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — there
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — the animal

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