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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. court — for sport
  3. roll — a list
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rule — government
  17. last — final
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. court — of law
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bass — low music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rule — to rule out

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