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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. track — a song

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