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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: pass · current · chip · bass · sharp · rule · rash · perch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — happening now
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chip — for betting
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — a series
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — to eat

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