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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. land — a country
  15. bass — the fish
  16. land — ground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — for tennis

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