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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · rule · march · court · mate · pass · bass · fan

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. march — music
  7. court — for sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bass — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of a king
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — government
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fan — a supporter

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