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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — a law
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — government
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — a price
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bass — low music
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for golf

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