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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 116 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: bulb · wake · squash · net · bass · kid · pit · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. net — after costs
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — a law
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — in a race

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