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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — soda
  7. deal — to handle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the fish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pop — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. race — humankind
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bass — the instrument

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