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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rock — music
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — a stone

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