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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

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

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