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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.

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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 · ball · mine · game · rule · rash · lie · safe

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rash — a series
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — low music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — to recline
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — a law
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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