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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: roll · hand · bass · club · date · suit · fine · rule

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — low music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rule — government
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. rule — a law

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