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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — in control
  4. cell — a phone
  5. club — for golf
  6. bass — the fish
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hand — help
  12. cell — in biology
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pound — a weight
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — a price
  24. drill — army training

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