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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · rash · bass · snap · fan · board · game · rule

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — a law
  11. rash — hasty
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — low music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a committee

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