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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: rule · hide · pop · rush · bass · jam · bound · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — of a king
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — certain
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — soda

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