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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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