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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 · game · mate · mug · bass · snap · firm · foot

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a friend
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a face
  9. firm — a company
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bass — low music

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