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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: march · pit · rule · hide · bass · court · lash · pop

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — low music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rule — government
  9. pit — a hole
  10. march — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. court — of a king
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — a law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — to lash out

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