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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — music
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lean — thin
  23. kid — child
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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