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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — there
  4. mine — for digging
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — the time now
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — a price
  22. pop — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — a tin

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