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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — there
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — to protest
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stem — to come from
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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