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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — magic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. clip — a video
  11. spell — a short time
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kick — in football
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — government
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — letters
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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