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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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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: object · stick · sharp · bass · cell · present · ruler · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — a gift
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — government
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — the time now
  19. rule — a law
  20. object — a thing
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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