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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. charge — a price
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to point toward
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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