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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — soda
  21. charge — electricity
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. nail — on a finger

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