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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: mark · bass · season · bat · roll · bay · staff · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rule — government
  6. season — of the year
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mark — a trace
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — a stick
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mark — a grade

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