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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. file — a document
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — all right
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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