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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rule — a law
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a grade
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — of 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