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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · kick · rule · chip · plane · hide · suit · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chip — for betting
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — government
  24. chip — in a computer

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