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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — a law
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rule — government
  13. season — in sport
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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