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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 — the fish
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bass — low music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — steady
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. firm — a company
  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