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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — low music
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. root — of a word
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — in control
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — for betting
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mug — a face
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — a price

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