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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 · snap · mouse · hand · content · prune · rule · cap

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — the amount
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — government
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to click
  23. cap — a lid
  24. prune — the fruit

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