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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — clothes
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — government
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — wild animals
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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