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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
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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: fan · pass · cold · firm · rule · bass · squash · jam

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — to crush
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — steady
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — decided
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — low music

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