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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: bass · face · bat · ruler · court · prune · board · saw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. board — to get on
  13. bat — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — low music
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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