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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — low music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — in control
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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