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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wound — an injury
  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