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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — the cause
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — to eat
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a word
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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