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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — in control
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — final
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — to go on
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chair — to sit on

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