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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 120 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 · bat · band · pass · bass · chip · bark · drill

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. band — a music group
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — to spend time

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