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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 120 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 · suit · bass · perch · safe · rush · ground · content

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — government
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — a law

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