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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — for digging
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — there
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a ring
  24. mine — belonging to me

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