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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — to come down
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. charge — electricity
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cell — a phone
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — to bear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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