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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: bass · bowl · board · march · rush · fine · rule · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — to get on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. board — a committee
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. fine — all right
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — music

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