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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — a price
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — in control
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — low music

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