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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rule — government
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — a series
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bass — low music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. suit — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bass — the instrument

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