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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — to fit
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. suit — in cards

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