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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. roll — a list
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. charge — electricity
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. kid — child
  21. charge — a price
  22. roll — a cake
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to succeed

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