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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. game — a match
  7. court — of law
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — a group
  10. court — for sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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