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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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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: pop · fan · leaves · court · wave · sharp · rule · bass

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — a law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of a king
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bass — low music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — clever

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