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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — a gift
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — the time now
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — for catching
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — a skill

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