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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — soda
  10. roll — a cake
  11. file — a line of people
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — in control
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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