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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of a king
  7. rash — hasty
  8. capital — money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — of law
  14. rash — a series
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. rule — a law
  21. capital — a city
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — a big letter

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