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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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. stock — goods
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — boats
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — in control

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