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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kid — to tease
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — a price
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. kid — child
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — steady
  23. charge — in control
  24. bear — the animal

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