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

Word bank: rule · mate · swing · bass · chip · vault

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. swing — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — a law
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rule — government
  16. bass — low music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chip — for betting

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