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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rule · sharp · scale · cabinet · rash · land · track

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — government
  19. land — a country
  20. track — a song
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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