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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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