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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. bass — low music

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