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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — low music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fine — all right
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — a position
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rule — a law
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — a penalty

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