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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: rule · trunk · row · deal · bass · file · court · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a tool
  20. rule — government
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. row — a quarrel

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