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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — a price
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. band — a music group
  22. hand — help
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the fish

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