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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — a law
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a leader

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