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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · spell · stick · kick · club · rule

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — magic
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spell — letters
  14. kick — in football
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rule — government

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