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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. track — a path
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. object — a thing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a song
  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