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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. bass — low music
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — a law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — government
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — there
  23. track — to keep track
  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