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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — electricity
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — a group
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. charge — a price
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — bread
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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