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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: bass · capital · rash · content · bay · roll · ruler · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rash — a series
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. roll — a list
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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