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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — a path
  11. row — a line
  12. game — a match
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — to paddle
  24. game — a kind of play

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