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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: file · bass · rule · mate · pit · key · deal · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — the fish
  3. file — a tool
  4. rule — government
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — the most important part
  13. file — a line of people
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. file — a document
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — a friend
  20. content — happy
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rule — to rule out

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