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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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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: content · rule · mug · stick · bass · band · racket · pass

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mug — a face
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a music group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rule — a law
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — the amount
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a ring
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pass — to succeed

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