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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — final
  14. board — a committee
  15. clip — for paper
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bass — low music
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — for betting
  22. charge — a price
  23. ball — a dance
  24. charge — electricity

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