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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. club — for golf
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — a hole
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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