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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.

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: last · row · pitcher · bass · ruler · fall · coach · bear

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — the season
  14. last — to go on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. row — a line

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