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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — government
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug

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