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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. pit — in a race
  18. branch — a division
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — a 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