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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. pop — soda
  15. bass — the fish
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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