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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · rush · content · rash · leaves · court · pit · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — a series
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — low music
  14. content — happy
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — videos and posts

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