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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — government
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — for dancing
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — low music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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