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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. charge — in control
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — of a word
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — low music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — a price
  24. scale — in 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