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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — clever
  15. row — a line
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — soda

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