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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — in control
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — thin
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — the underground
  12. land — a country
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — a container
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — ground

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