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

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. court — of a king
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — for sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. court — of law
  23. press — to push
  24. rule — a law

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