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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. drill — army training
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — the season
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. firm — a company
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  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