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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. game — a match
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lean — to bend
  8. charge — in control
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. lean — thin
  21. branch — a division
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — for a computer

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